Current status of regenerative medical therapy based on drug delivery technology

Regenerative medical therapy has been expected to compensate for the therapeutic disadvantages of reconstructive surgery and organ transplantation, as well as create a new therapeutic strategy. The objective of regenerative medical therapy is to induce the regeneration and repair of defective tissues based on the natural healing potential of patients themselves. For successful tissue regeneration, it is indispensable to provide cells with a local environment which enables them to proliferate and differentiate efficiently, resulting in cell-induced tissue regeneration. Tissue engineering is a biomedical technology or methodology to create this regeneration environment by making use of biomaterials. Several concrete examples of regenerative medical therapy based on the cell scaffolding and drug delivery system of growth factors and genes are introduced here to emphasize the significance of biomaterials in tissue engineering.